Clock and means for winding same



, S, STROMMER.

C LOC K AND MEANS FOR WINDING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1920.

Patented Mar, 22,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIGFRID STROMMER, OF BAYSWATER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

CLOCK AND MEANS FOR WINDING SAME.

Application filed April 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGFRID STROMMER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at 22 Queensborough Terrace, Bayswater, in the countyof London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConnection with Clocks and Means for Winding Same, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to clocks and means for winding same, and inparticular to clocks intended to be geared to a rotary shaft such asthat of a speedometer which may be carried upon an automobile vehicle,and to be automatically wound up when such rotary shaft is put inaction.

According to this invention, means are provided whereby the barrel arborof the clock can be positively connected to and disconnected from therotary shaft, as for example by a clutch, the engagement anddisengagement of which are dependent on the movement of a stop devicecarried on the spring barrel of the clock, as for example a star wheelor Geneva wheel actuated by a single toothed index wheel on the saidarbor.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will. now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents inelevation an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan illustrating a detail hereinafter mentioned.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan on a larger scale illustrating other detailshereinafter mentioned.

Fig. 4 is an elevation on a still larger scale of a portion of themechanism shown in Fig. 1.

The reference numeral 1 indicatesa rotary shaft, which shaft may be aportlon of a speedometer. On this shaft is a worm 2 engaging a wormwheel 3 on a connecting shaft 4, supported by a special cock or standard44. At the other end of this shaft 4 is a worm 5 engaging a worm wheel 6on a shaft 7, on which shaft 7 is also secured a toothed pinion 8 whichdrives a toothed wheel 9 on a countershaft 10. On this shaft 10 is alsosecured a toothed pinion 11 which continuously drives a toothed wheel 12so long as the shaft 1 is rotating. This wheel 12 is mounted on a sleeve13 ca able of sliding on the main arbor 14 of t e clock. the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 376,009.

nately upright and inclined surfaces so that at any position ofengagement an inclined surface on one member would be encountered by thepoint of a tooth on the opposing member, this facilitating fullengagement. On the underside of the wheel 12 is secured a catch orforked piece of spring metal 18 adapted to en age either one of twogrooves (not shown) formed in the arbor 14, and to spring from onegroove to the other. the spring barrel 19 of the clock is secured abezel 20 from which depends a bracket 21 to which is pivoted at 22 (Fig.4) a lever 23, the free end of which is forked at 24 and embraces theneck 15 of the sleeve 13, the forks 24 being adapted to press againstthe larger parts of the sleeve 13 above and below them respectively insuch manner as to lift or lower the said sleeve upon the arbor 14, thespring catch 18 being then moved from one to the other of the twogrooves in the said arbor and by this spring action tending to keep thesleeve in the position to which it has been so moved. Projecting fromthe arbor 14 or from an index wheel secured thereon is a pin or tooth 25adapted to engage successively a number of notches or recesses 26 in astar wheel 27 or Geneva wheel (Fig. 3) as the arbor or barrel rotates.In the example shown there are five of these notches or recesses so thatthe star wheel makes one complete revolution for each five revolutionsof the arbor or barrel, and therefore if one revolution of the barrelper day is made when the clock is running down the star wheel willcomplete a revolution in five days. A disk 28 is formed on the boss 29of the star wheel 27 this disk being cut through and bent up at 30against the underside of the star wheel forming an inclined surface andanother part of the disk is cut through and bent down in such manner asto form two more inclined surfaces 31 and 32, one or the other of which,according to the direction of rotation of the star wheel 27, will in thecourse of such rotation engage a hook 33 on the upper surface of thelever 23. Instead of parts of the disk being oppositely bent, solidparts of the boss 29 may he formed to described, as they do notconstitute any part of the present improvements.

The running down of the main spring contained in the barrel 19 causesrotation of the said barrel, and by means of the tooth arotary movementis imparted to the star wheel 27 and disk 28; after four or liverevolutions of the barrel the inclined surface 31 of the disk 28 engagesthe hook and causes it to be lifted on to the edge of the disk. Thelever 23 therefore lifts the sleeve 13 and engages the clutch member 16with the clutch member 17, and as the wheel 12 is continuously driven inconsequence of the rotation of the shaft 1, rotation is now imparted tothe arbor, causing the star wheel to move in the reverse direction, sothat the clock is wound. up, it the speedometeris in action. Up to thispoint, the barrel has only run down to the extent of four or liverevolutions, but the spring retains power to run for a further four orfive revolutions, it the speedometer meanwhile remains inactive, duringthis time leaving the winding mechanism in position to begin re-windingas soon as the speedometer is again started. The complete winding up ofthe clock-thus corresponds to a movement of about nine teeth of the starwheel 27 and before one'revolution of the 1 star wheel is completed theinclined surface 30 engages the back or" the hook 33and presses the saidhook under the edge of the disk so that the lever 23 falls into theposition shown in Fig. l, that is, to the extent permitted by the lengthof the neck 15 but not sufiiciently to cause the disengagement of theclutch members. The winding therefore continues during nearly anotherrevolug tion or" the star'wheel and disk, when the inclined surface 32reaches the back of the hook- 03 and presses it down, so that the sleevelrflispr'essed down against the resistance orthe spring catch '18 untilthe said catch engages the lower groove in the arbor 1% and the clutchmembers are disengaged. As the'main spring runs down or slackenswhilethe clock is running, the direction of,

rotation of the star wheel and its disk are reversed until after aboutfour revolutions of the barrel and the actuation by the tooth 25-01% thestar wheel to the extent of about four notches, the point or theinclined surface 31 again engages and lifts up the hook 33, so that theclutches are rengaged and re-winding begins. Thus a reserve of aboutfive days" running power of the clock is maintained, assuming that eachcomplete revolution of the arbor 14: corresponds to one days work of theclock. For example, assuming the clock to be connected to a speedometercarried on an automobile V6? hicle the clock will run for about ninedays while the vehicle is standing still orthe speedometer disconnected,and the hook 33 said arbor, a second clutch member slidably mounted onthe said arbor and adapted to be continuously rotated by positiveconnections from the said rotary shaft, a star wheel carried by the saidbarrel and intermittently rotated by an index tooth secured to the saidarbor, and a pivoted lever controlled by the said star wheel forpositively sliding the saidsecond clutch member into and out ofengagement with the first named clutch member.

2. In a clock provided with a spring barrel and barrel arbor, thecombination of a rotary shaft, a clutch member secured on the saidarbor, a second clutch member slidably mounted on the said arbor andadapted to be continuously rotated by positive con nections from thesaid rotary shaft, a star wheel carried by the said barrel andintermittently rotated by an index tooth secured to the'said arbor, apivoted lever operatively connectedto the second clutchmember andprovided with a hook, a disk carried by the said star wheel and havingbent projecting portions respectively directed toward and away from thesaid star wheel, the said hook lying in the path of rotation of thesaidprojecting portions and being alter- .nately lifted and depressedthereby in such manner as to cause the engagement and disengagement ofthe clutch.

3. In a clock provided with a spring bar-' rel and barrel arbor, thecombination of a rotary shaft, a clutch member secured on the saidarbor, a second clutch member slid:-

to be continuously rotated by positive connections from the said rotaryshaft, a star wheel carried bythe said barrel, means for transmittingfrom the said arbor to the said star wheel a partial rotation uponeachcomplete rotation of the barrel or arbor, and a disk controlled by thesaid star wheel and carrying three inclined surfaces adapted to engagesuccessively a hook operatively con nected to the said second clutchmember into and out ofengagementwith the first named clutch member aftera series of revolutions ofthe said arbor or barrel. 1

SIGFRTD STROlWMER.

